Domestic and Fire Protection Water Supply and Distribution Systems

• Introduction
• Water Source
• Treatment Facilities
• Storage Systems
• Distribution Systems
• Operations and  Maintenance
• Reclaimed Water
• Small Systems
• Regulations
• Exhibits
• Notes
• Additional Resources

Introduction

A college or university must provide potable water and manage its water distribution system to serve hundreds to thousands of people each day. Those that do not own and operate the water distribution system serving their facilities should work closely with their water purveyor to ensure that reliable water of high quality is delivered to their facilities. The water quality must meet regulatory standards and must be aesthetically pleasing. The potable water will be used for drinking, but it may also serve a plethora of other uses such as research, instruction, cleaning, irrigation, animal husbandry, and fire protection. Many universities use nonpotable water for irrigation and other applications, such as cooling and washwater. This chapter addresses some of the issues and topics encountered when a typical university supplies safe and pleasant water through its potable water utility.

The major elements of water supply are the water source, treatment facilities, storage systems, and the distribution system. A small college or university in a rural setting may be responsible for all of these aspects of water supply, including identifying and caring for the source. However, most colleges or universities are located within a municipality or water district that supplies treated water to their distribution system; therefore, the distribution system is the focus of most universities' potable water utility.

In this chapter we briefly address the source, treatment, and storage system elements of water supply and provide a more in-depth discussion of distribution systems. We also touch on some unique aspects of small systems. The final part of this chapter addresses regulatory requirements applicable to safe drinking water.